a fan can dream

I wish the title said "to do more roles that challenge his acting skills" instead of "good film," but I understand why titles are the way they are.

I too wish he would do more films that challenge his acting skills. The films praised in the piece—Chak De, Swades (and I'd add Paheli)—are among my favorites, not just of his but from anyone in Bollywood.

Shahrukh in a Vishal Bhardwaj film MUST HAPPEN PLEASE OH PLEASE. Or maybe even better, a Dibakar Banerjee film.

It seems to me Shahrukh has experimented in cinema lately—(only?) within the broader category of "mass entertainer," sometimes even as producer. Don 2 was him playing with being a villain again after all this time (though in a flagrantly villain-centric film). Chennai Express was his attempt to see if he could find a flavor of southie masala herogiri that worked for him and his audiences, and the answer is "yep." Ra.One was a colossal swing at a hydra-headed sci-fi film with attendant marketing and tie-ins; it was an equally colossal miss by most people's count, but at least he tried.

Maybe capital-A Actor, even if it's followed by -ish, is where he'll go for his elder statesman phase. Again, PLEASE OH PLEASE.